Proverbs 7:23 (Mini Sermon)

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23. Pro 7:23 - "Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life." A. Till a dart strike through his liver; i. Dart n. - 1. a. A pointed missile weapon thrown by the hand; a light spear or javelin; also applied to pointed missiles in general, including arrows, etc. ii. Being thrust through with a dart is a death sentence (2Sa 18:14). iii. The liver is a vital organ. iv. An animal that is thrust through the liver with a dart will die (Pro 7:22 c/w Heb 12:20). v. Likewise, the man who goes after a strange woman is under a death sentence. B. as a bird hasteth to the snare, i. Just as the ox walks to the slaughter and the bird hastens to the snare not knowing that it will be its demise, so the young man goes to the strange woman's house. ii. A snare is for catching and killing birds or other animals. a. Snare n. - 1. a. A device for capturing small wild animals or birds, usually consisting of a string with a running noose in which a foot or the head may be caught. Also in fig. context. b. A strange woman's heart is a snare and a net (Ecc 7:26). c. Just as birds are caught in snares, so men are snared in an evil time (Ecc 9:12). iii. Haste v. - 1. trans. To cause to move more quickly; to urge, drive, or press on; to quicken, accelerate, hurry. a. Just as the foolish bird hurries to the snare, so sinners waste no time sinning and sealing their judgment. b. They run to evil and make haste to shed blood (Pro 1:16). c. They do evil with both hands earnestly (Mic 7:3). C. and knoweth not that it is for his life. i. This young man is ignorant: he knoweth not that it is for his life. ii. But he is willingly ignorant (2Pe 3:5) because the strange woman told him plainly that her husband was away (Pro 7:19-20). a. Being a Jew, this young man certainly should have known that the punishment for adultery was death (Lev 20:10). b. Therefore, he should have known that to go in unto her was a death sentence. iii. In his lustful exuberance he may have forgot what the punishment for adultery was, or he might have thought that he would not get caught. iv. This is why it's crucial to read and learn the scriptures well so that God's principles are ingrained in us and will keep us from sin (Psa 119:9-11).